Places of worship in Mumbai

Afghan Church

At
the southern tip of Mumbai, Afghan Church stands in a quiet army
cantonment, an imposing basalt edifice with a lofty limestone spire that
can be seen several miles away. This is the church of St John the
Evangelist, consecrated in 1858 to "honour those who fell by sickness
and sword" in the conquest of Sind and Afghanistan. Thus it came to be
known as Afghan Church, and in the old days had a sizeable flock of
British officers who turned up for the Sunday sermon. Today, the church
is badly in need of restoration, but a straggling group of devout Indian
parishioners remains, and at Christmas, the lovely old rafters still
quiver to the lilting melody of carols.

Babulnath Temple

This
temple is situated at the end of Marine Drive and south of Malabar
Hill. It was built in 1780. In 1900, a tall spire was added to the
original temple. A stone Lingam of Shiva is worshipped at Babulnath. The
main day for worship is Monday.

Nearest Station is Marine Lines (Western Railway).

Haji Ali Dargah

Across
a rocky path that meanders into the sea from Mahalaxmi Temple, you can
see a cluster of ethereal white domes floating on the water. This is
Haji Ali Dargah, the tomb of a wealthy Muslim merchant, who renounced
all his worldly belongings before embarking on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The tomb itself is over eight hundred years old and linked to the
mainland by a path that is annually submerged in the high monsoon tide.
Inside the central shrine, throngs of worshippers stoop to press their
heads against the richly brocaded red and green chaddor covering the
tomb, which lies in an exquisite silver frame engraved with all the
ninety-nine names of Allah. The faithful then tie little red ribbons on
wooden lattices to honour the soul of Haji Ali.

Isckon Hare Krishna Temple

A
stone's throw from Prithvi, the International Society For Krishna
Consciousness is known all over the world for its jet-setting, orange-
robed sadhus, dedicated to spreading the name of Lord Krishna. For a
peak into this fascinating world, drop in for lunch at the ISKCON
restaurant: here pure vegetarian food, as prescribed by the Vedas, is
served and eaten by these shaven, robed ascetics. Later you can visit
the serene marbled ISKCON temple and sit in for the evening aarti or
prayer that reverberates with touching devotion.

Jain Temple

Like
the community that built it, the Jain Temple on Malabar Hill is
opulent, but poorly maintained, thanks, probably, to a spiritual
philosophy that disregards material things. Inside, frescoes depict
various events in the lives of the 24 Jain apostles or Tirthankaras;
upstairs, a black marble shrine is beautifully decorated with celestial
personifications of the planets, painted onto the ceiling. The place is
usually filled with worshippers, mostly Jain stockbrokers who walk
barefoot to the temple every morning, and white-robed monks who have
renounced everything save for their begging bowls. If you can spare the
time, this is an interesting peep into the austere spiritual tradition
of India.

Jumma Masjid

A
hop across from Crawford Market brings you to Juma Masjid, a small,
quiet mosque with a cluster of white domes. It rises from the mossy
green water of a tank, supported by slender white arches, and is
fashioned almost entirely in marble, right down to the exquisite inlaid
floors and chiseled balconies. The mosque was built in 1770 and is
considered extremely sacred by Mumbai's Muslim community. On Fridays,
when namaaz is offered in the prayer hall, thousands of worshippers
spill onto the neighbouring streets to pray, but on most days this is a
tranquil oasis in the chaotic commerce of Mumbai's market district.

Mahalakshmi Temple

The
Mahalaxmi Temple sits atop a long flight of steps on the edge of the
Arabian Sea. It is devoted to Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, and Lady
Lucre to millions of adoring Indians. The shrine itself is quite
characterless, but has a curious history. It is said that in the 1890s,
when the adjoining causeway was being constructed by a British engineer,
the project was always jinxed: every time the foundation was laid, the
sea would rush in and destroy it. Then one night, a labourer dreamt of
Goddess Laxmi who ordered him to dig out an idol from a spot under the
causeway and build a shrine on it. This was done with due alacrity, and
the causeway was ultimately completed.

Mount Mary Church

Situated
on a quiet hillock in suburban Bandra, Mount Mary is probably Mumbai's
best-known church for Christians and non-christians alike. As the name
suggests, it is dedicated to the Mother of Christ and in September, the
festival of the Virgin Mother culminates in a week long fair, popularly
known as Bandra Fair, that has all the excitement of a small carnival.
Stalls sell sticky Goan sweets and wax idols of the Virgin along with an
assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts
of the body. The sick and suffering choose one that corresponds to their
ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary
will consider their appeals for help.

Mumbadevi Temple

Although
the Mumbadevi Temple is not as striking as others are in the city, its
resident deity, Mumbadevi, is the city's patron Goddess. The structure
is about six centuries old, believed to be the handiwork of Mumbaraka, a
sadistic giant who frequently plundered the city at the time.
Terrorized by these unwelcome visits, the locals pleaded with Lord
Brahma, Creator of all things to protect them. Brahma then "pulled out
of his own body", an eight armed goddess who vanquished the brute.
Predictably brought to his knees, Mumbaraka implored Her Holiness to
take his name and built a temple in her honour. She still stands there,
an orange faced goddess on an altar strewn with marigolds: devotees
believe that those who seek her divine favour are never disappointed.

Siddhi Vinayak Temple

In
India, faith is known to move mountains. Rich and poor, educated and
unlettered, they Indians all converge at temples and churches and
mosques to offer their destinies to the Divine. Nowhere is this more
evident than at Siddhi Vinayak, a temple devoted to Ganesh, the
elephant-headed God of Good Fortune. On auspicious Tuesdays, the
serpentine queue of worshippers is over 2kms long. People stand for
several hours with offerings of flowers and coconut, waiting patiently
for a two minute "Darshan" or meeting with the Lord. The path to the
divine is never easy, but it is said that those who tread it with true
devotion will always have their wishes fulfilled.

For more information about Siddhi Vinayak Temple, visit their web-site at www.siddhivinayak.org

St Thomas' Cathedral

In
the heart of the Fort stands St Thomas' Cathedral, a quiet oasis
engulfed by raucous traders and the frenzied commerce of Mumbai's
downtown business district. The Cathedral was the city's first Anglican
Church, built in 1718 to improve the "moral standards" of the growing
British settlement. Here, many a Briton was laid to rest, under
elaborate marble tablets engraved with touching elegies - generals and
clerks and young maids all lying together in the silent, sundappled
interior. Despite its rather deserted and brooding air, for most of the
year, the Cathedral is a quiet retreat from the urban pressure cooker
outside, and a rich personal memoir of the British Raj in India.